Rose Grai is a DC metro based artist who’s surreal subject matter is conjured in the realms of self portraiture, blurred identity, dream imagery, and her struggle with mental illness.

Rose was born in Southern NJ and relocated to Philadelphia, PA to pursue her BFA and certificate from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where she majored in painting and minored in printmaking. There, she was classically trained in a variety of mediums, but chose to focus on oil painting and lithography as a means to further explore her fascination with identity. In her final year, she experimented in performance art and mixed media installation. Post graduation, Rose took a long hiatus from art making due to burnout and her declining mental health. She was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder with psychotic feature in 2019 after a prolonged manic episode and has been in recovery since. Looking for an outlet, Rose turned to learning Procreate, where she now makes art frequently. 

Her favorite artists and inspirations include Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Mark Rothko, Remedios Varo, Bas Jan Ader, and Odilon Redon.

She currently resides in Silver Spring, MD, where she considers the National Gallery a second home.